KeySea Houseboat Rentals

Beautiful houseboating opportunities in the sunny Florida Keys

You know when your fingers freeze to the steering wheel like little frozen hot dogs that it’s pretty darn cold outside. I purposefully try to park the car in little patches of sunlight with the hopes of heating up the interior a little while I’m away, but drat it all the sun tends to move. Just the thought of sinking into a blanket of hot sand and tuning in to the sounds of the surf is enough to make me ready to move somewhere far, far south. This got me thinking on houseboat getaways in places like Florida, where I swear it’s not the same sun. If I could get away right this second and hop a plane, I’d head straight to the Florida Keys.

KeySea Houseboats is one rental company that’s quick to cater to those jump-on-a-plane types hitting up the Keys for a vacation. Their 31-foot Catamaran Cruiser is perfectly proportioned for two, so certainly I’d bring my hubby along for the trip. Course, it’d be hard to leave him, as whenever he gives me a ride home we stick together like two little ice cubes dropped in a cup of water, so there you go. We’re kind of a packaged deal.

The Cruiser can accommodate up to four people and includes a fully-stocked galley for cooking up the basics, as well as all the dishes and cutlery you’d need to enjoy it. The Weber propane BBQ stakes its claim on the front deck so you can grill up your catch while enjoying the wash of sunlight outside. If it gets too hot, you can retreat inside to enjoy the bathroom with a rinse shower or sneak in a nap on the double bed with all-microfiber linens for optimum cool sleeping. Or, if you’re more my style, you can jump in the water with the complementary snorkel equipment and go exploring the Keys how it should be experienced. With all of Blackwater Sounds, Barnes Sound and Buttonwood Sound open for your cruising perusal, there are endless beautiful sights to see. I like KeySea Houseboats’ way of putting it on their website: “Explore, relax, kayak, fish, snorkel, eat, sleep, repeat."

Sounds mighty fine to me!

Their prices range from a 2 Night Explore for $750 to a 7 Night Explore for $2,415. Better yet, these rates include the houseboat rental, kayak usage, snorkel equipment, fishing equipment, and your first fill-up of ice. Call 305-394-3096 or visitwww.keyseahouseboats.com for more details on how this wonderful houseboat rental can fit your sunshine needs in the beautiful Florida Keys. As for me and my man? We'll already be there!

Houseboat in the Keys

The surest way to enjoy the clear turquoise waters around the Florida Keys is to rent the maritime equivalent of a mobile home. A houseboat provides a floating bed, shower, and kitchen that can be anchored off a deserted island. And piloting one is not as difficult as many people think. "The waters here are very clear and calm," says John Martinez, owner of KeySea Houseboats in Key Largo. "You can always see land, so you will never get lost." It's pretty empty around here, so make sure your galley is well stocked before setting out. And don't rent a stationary houseboat, which never leaves the docks — because where's the fun in that?

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There are two houseboat outfitters in the Keys. A 35-footer from KeySea Houseboats — which includes snorkeling and fishing gear and a kayak — costs $1,125 for three nights. Use the boat as a base to explore the protected northern side of the Keys, and to kayak through canopied mangrove forests, with cormorants and herons above and rays and sharks below . . . .